


A Risk Worth Taking

by BlackInkOnly



Category: Final Fantasy XIII-2
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 21:24:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4115404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackInkOnly/pseuds/BlackInkOnly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story takes place at the end of the game. Instead of staying with the others, Noel is sent back to his own timeline. Everything is just as he left it. At least it seems so…</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Risk Worth Taking

     Everything was just how he remembered it. He even felt the same lonely agony. The trees stood helpless and bare. Unforgiving winds kicked up the sand. It was cold, desolate and heart breaking. The settlement was without life, just as he’d left it. That felt like decades ago. He lay on his bed and watched nothing happen through the window. His stomach ached at him to eat, but his will was not so strong. He rolled onto his back to stare at the makeshift ceiling. It was someplace he used to call home. 

He didn’t want this. He had a home. A better home. A home with Hope. That house wasn’t much bigger but it held so much more. It was surrounded by busy streets, bright lights and the sound of people talking. 

     He wondered for a moment how long it had been since these walls heard a voice. His eyes pulled shut and he wrapped his arms around himself. The chill was unbearable. He tried to imagine for a moment that he was back home. There, he only felt this chill when Hope rolled over with the blankets. Such a small fix that was. He could simply reach behind him and tug for his share and every time Hope was happy to oblige. He even whispered in his sweet, soft voice,  _Sorry Noel, I love you._  

     His deep seeded habit kicked in and he rolled over. Nothing but the cold, white wall was there to greet him. His desperate heart sank once again. This wasn’t home. He didn’t belong here. He clutched his small pillow close to his chest. He buried his face and fed the coarse fabric his tears until his body gave in and he drifted into sleep. 

     Noel’s dreams were nothing short of mundane. His dreams were of trivial things overlapping each other with no rhyme or reason. He saw Hope walking down the hall, his arms full of laundry and shaking his head trying to get overgrown bangs out his face. Hope pacing in his office trying to explain something to someone else on the phone. But when Hope opened his mouth, nothing came out. It was a soundless conversation. It ended with Hope on the couch, flipping the channels looking bored. His head turned towards Noel and after a moment, Hope smiled before turning back to the TV, blushing. 

     Noel opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the stone white wall. He felt his body ache. He had to eat something soon. It seemed almost impossible to get out of bed but he managed. He walked out into the empty streets and felt furious. Noel didn’t want to come back to  _his_  future. After trying so hard to do everything right to change it. The guardian felt like a fool for believing that he could stay in Hopes’ arms forever. 

     He felt a sense of familiarity about the situation. It was the pain of losing Yuel all over again. He took a deep breath and decided there was nothing here for him. Nothing but horrible memories for him in this desolate town. Noel left it all behind the last time, he would do it again this time. He decided to walk until he found something, anything. Maybe he would find other people or a place filled with green grass and wild flowers. Maybe all he would find was his death. For now, it made no difference to Noel. Anywhere but here. 

     Slowly, Noel made his way out and into the vast open land. He kept his mediocre pace and step by step left his painful past behind. It felt like he was going in circles. Everything looked the same. 

     It wasn’t long before he found another lonely soul. A furry four-legged monster pawing uselessly at the ground looking for something. Noel pulled out his blade and charged the creature, slaying it easily. He skinned the beast and was about to cut the meat when thunder rolled above his head. Dark clouds had moved in and threatened to barrel down. He found a cave nearby to take shelter. It never rained, but the lightning would strike indiscriminately and without warning. He broke off some branches on his way to start a fire. 

     Once inside he started make a circle of rocks to surround the fire. Each rock felt heavier than the one before. Once the circle was complete he stopped to listen for the storm. Thunder stuck once echoing off the walls. He started his fire and cooked his dinner. Eating felt like a chore but his body gladly accepted  the food. Lightning set random light flashes into the cave and only moments after the thunder would come in and surround him.  

     Noel leaned against the wall and waited out the storm. They never seemed to last for longer than a few hours. His mind wandered again to the love of his life. He pictured Hope in his mind but for some reason, when the director opened his mouth to say something, the voice sounded unfamiliar. Noels heart pounded. It had only  been a couple weeks and Hopes’ voice was already fading from memory. He tried so hard to recreate that tender sound in his mind but he couldn’t get it just right. 

     It was a while before Noel noticed that the storm had passed. He moved a little closer to his fire and stretched out across the floor. He had done enough walking today. He placed his hands under his head and fell asleep shortly after to the crackling of his fire.

     He opened his eyes and cursed the sleep for not sending him dreams. A cold chill came over him and he noticed that his fire had gone out recently. There was still smoke coming from the pile.  He stayed flat on the floor. His ears picked up on a humming sound coming from somewhere. Noel pushed up onto his elbow and looked around. It was faint. The wind did well to hide it from him yesterday but now with world in absolute silence he could hear it. He stood on his feet and decided to go deeper into the cave. 

     He made a short trip outside to gather more branches. He bunched a few of them together and wrapped a tattered cloth he had  around the end. He found a few small embers in his ash pile and was able to coax them into a small fire that caught onto the cloth. He held the rest of his branches under his arm and made his way further into the cave. 

     He didn’t have to go far. The hum never got much louder but Noel knew as soon as he saw it, he found what he was looking for. 

     It was large metal box. If he had to guess it was just over three feet high and maybe five feet wide. He threw down his branches and made a steady fire as fast as he could. The second he knew it would stay lit he threw himself in front of the box and began to wipe away the dust and dirty that rested on it. He his heart pounded away as he threw his hands across the top pushing away years of build up looking for an inscription of any kind. After a moment his hands caught on a raised area. He concentrated on that spot and uncovered what looked like a plaque. He reached for his water and splashed some onto the area. He vigorously rubbed the last of  dirt away with his fingers. 

     Noel Kreiss 

     His lips pursed. He felt tears building up in his eyes. He leaned his head against the cold metal and let the water flow from his eyes. It was from Hope. It had to be. Even after Noel was gone Hope found a way to reach out to him. Now, he had to open it. 

     He threw more water onto it and uncovered something else. A small screen. He ran his hand across it. The screen reacted to his heat and glowed to life. A message appeared on the screen. 

     Please place your hand firmly onto the screen for verification. 

     Noel obliged. The screen rippled as it read his print. After a moment it turned blue and a person appeared. It was Serah. Noel furrowed his brow. Maybe this wasn’t from Hope after all. The screen only showed her from the waist up. She wore a soft pink sweater and she looked a few years older than Noel remembered. He hair was longer and she wore it down over her shoulders. 

     Serah’s smile was bright but her eyes reflected an overwhelming sadness that she fought back. 

     “Noel, if you‘re seeing this than you have found your way.” Her lips pursed and she inhaled deeply through her nose. 

     “I can only hope that you find this gift in good health,” her eyes swelled with tears, “or at all for that matter. Should you never find this, the effort and all the hope that this holds inside will have been in vain. This was a chance that he-” her voice choked. She closed her eyes and tear fell down, “That we all were willing to take. We love you so much. Know that we missed you ‘til the day we died.” Her face bunched into a sob before the video cut out. 

     Noels’ heart fell. They were gone. Somehow he knew it was true but to hear it from Serah made it so much more real. Suddenly, the hum got louder. He pulled his hands back as the box began to click. Latches were coming undone and locks were releasing. A separation appeared in the metal distinguishing the top from the rest. The sound of pressurized air escaped through the crack. He threw his hands against the top and pushed with all his strength. It fell to the ground with a loud clatter as light poured into the box for the first time in 200 years. 

    Noel looked down and choked on his breath. 

     Inside the box, holding his knees to his chest, was Hope. 

   Noel grabbed at his own chest, feeling it suddenly reluctant to breath. All at once his heart was mended and overflowing. He felt his eyes grow hot with tears and his jaw quivered relentlessly.  He had no words to say. All he could do was release the grateful sobs that tore at his body. He reached down and gently ran his fingers through Hopes’ gorgeous silver hair. It was as soft as he remembered. He closed his eyes and turned away. This couldn’t be real. 

   He leaned his head down onto the side of the case. His loneliness was gone. Everything he ever wanted was right before him. His mind and body were in shock. He shook violently as the elated sobs fought all at once to leave his body. His hand still held on to the soft silver hair inside. 

    He was lost in his bliss when a gloved hand wrapped around his wrist. Noels’ eyes shot open and he straightened up to look inside. Hopes’ eyes were half open in a sleepy daze. He parted his lips and whispered,    “Noel… is that you?”

     His voice rang through Noel’s ears and shook his core. All at once the memories returned to his mind only now when Hope spoke to him his voice was just how he remembered. 

     Noel choked back his sobs and nodded. “It‘s me Hope…. I‘m here…” 

 


End file.
